


crown of love.

by peachylimee



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Angst, Ash Lynx and Okumura Eiji Go to Japan, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Post-Canon Fix-It, ash fakes his death, but only at first rlly, mentions of ash's past
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-24
Updated: 2020-02-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:42:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22871929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peachylimee/pseuds/peachylimee
Summary: Eiji broke, dropping to his knees and sobbing out to the ground. "I never..I-I never got to tell you, Ash. I never got to see you smile again. I wanted to see you happy, I would’ve done anything to  just.."He shakes as he racks with body with sobs, clutching at his chest as if to confirm that he himself was still alive. There might have been a heartbeat there, but he knew his heart was broken like a vase, irreparable damage breaking him to bits.A voice behind him brought him to his senses. "Tell me what?"
Relationships: Ash Lynx & Okumura Eiji, Ash Lynx/Okumura Eiji
Comments: 17
Kudos: 118





	crown of love.

You never know how grief will hit you until it’s way too late. Eiji already knew this, he’d experienced it many times already. It was always turned inward, whether it was the death of his career or the death of Skipper (Or Griffin, or Shorter, or any of the others that he cost Ash throughout their time together.). It always tore him up in a quiet way, nagging thoughts that never quite left him. It made him feel hollow, like he was a shell of a human. It made him like he was in quicksand, sinking to his death. But he learned from Ash to keep moving, to let the grief fuel him instead of stop in his tracks. Ash, who had all the reasoning in the world to curl up like a cat and stay like that, had never once let himself. He wanted to be strong, he pledged to himself that he would never stay stagnant like he had in Japan again. He told himself that he would never let himself sink again.

And, Eiji would wager a bet that this was why this particular bout of grief hit him like a truck. He hadn’t been able to stop his scream as he heard Max’s voice. Not even a day after he arrived home, they’d found Ash dead. If the other times felt like he was sinking in quicksand, this felt like he was drowning in the middle of an ocean. He didn’t have much recollection of what happened after that, unable to move well enough to run like he wanted, he was forced to stay put. Forced to feel the tidal waves of loss wreck him from the inside out. According to his parents, he’d been inconsolable for much longer than he can remember. For days, all he could do was cry or sleep. But he can’t remember the actual events of those days, just his thoughts. And all he could think about was Ash. The last time they met, Ash was crying. He didn’t plan on coming back, but he did. He lived, he was so close to Eiji, and yet he still ended up dead.

He bled out reading the letter meant to bring Ash to him. To save Ash, to let Ash know he was loved and that he could defy his own fate. But in the end, it killed him.

He caused Ash’s death. Maybe if he waited, if he didn’t make Sing give him the letter immediately he would’ve been okay. He would’ve seen the blade coming, heard the footsteps running towards him. Maybe he would’ve lived. Maybe he’d be around to hold Eiji again, maybe he could show Ash his home. 

Maybe they would have created their own home together, hand in hand like Eiji had dreamed of.

But that wasn’t the world he lived in, his hands shake as he waves goodbye to his family. He insisted on going back to New York for Ash’s funeral alone, it felt too personal for him to take a family member with. He never got the chance to tell Ash how he felt, waiting for it to be over. Waiting to see Ash in Japan, take him somewhere private. Maybe to the beach, or to a nice restaurant. Somewhere, anywhere. Then he would tell Ash he loved him, that he’d loved him the whole time. That he wouldn’t mind staying by his side forever. He loves to imagine a world where he could tell Ash he was loved, truly and deeply to his face.

And in a sick way, wasn’t that what he was going to New York to do? 

But the dead can’t hear, he learned this from Ash too. No matter how many silent prayers he uttered in his sleep, none of his loved ones ever came back. No one ever forgave Ash for not protecting them, and maybe that's why Ash didn't fight.

Maybe that's why they found him bled out over his letter, the man who had been through hell and back dead from one stab wound.

Eiji shook his head, his mind too troubled to sleep on the plane ride to New York. He hadn't slept for nearly two days, unable to sleep without dreaming of Ash screaming for his help. Or worse, sometimes he was mumbling that fucking word. Eiji never should have taught him how to say goodbye, maybe he'd still be here. 

But that's childish, isn't it? Just because a person doesn't say goodbye doesn't mean they're not gone. That's how it was with Griff. Ash still lost a brother, even if he couldn't say goodbye. He lost his older brother no matter what, didn't he?

This was going nowhere, nothing would come from this trip but validation that Ash was dead. He would see his body, and then the last spark of hope in him would die along with the man he loved so deeply. It would sting more than he knew, but that was his future self's problem. For now, he’d allow himself to sink into fantasy.

He closes his eyes and imagines a hand against his cheek, noses nearly touching. Lips on skin, hands intertwined. The type of kisses where teeth collide, too caught up in simply being in love to care. He imagines taking Ash to his favorite spots, teaching him Japanese so that he could feel more at home. He imagines his mother's skeptical look at her son's choice in men, making Ash nervous on purpose like he knew she would, even though she likes him. He imagines moving out into an apartment with Ash, just the two of them. He imagines Ash getting a job as a model, and choosing Eiji as his personal photographer.

What the team they would make, he thinks to himself. 

Eiji’s head resting on Ash’s head, the younger reading a book in the soft lighting of their shared bedroom. They would have just finished dinner together like they did every night, a habit they’d picked up even before they started dating. Eiji would look up at the love of his life, thinking to himself how beautiful he looked in low lighting. He’d take a picture of this moment in time, but he doesn’t want to share this view of Ash with any magazine in the world. 

He would think to himself how Ash was the light of his life, truly and completely.

But dead men can't do any of those things, dead men can't be in love. His light had been snuffed out far too soon. He was too late to protect Ash from his fate, or maybe he hadn't tried hard enough. He should have gone to Ash himself, even if he had to crawl on his hands and knees, even if it broke every bone in his body. Would that have saved Ash? He had to stop asking himself these questions, nothing would bring his love back. Especially not the deep self hatred that threatened to destroy him from the inside.

But despite his own pleas with himself, the entire plane ride was nothing but a mixture of self loathing and dread. He didn't want to see Ash this way for the last time, he didn't want their last meeting to be him staring at his lifeless corpse. He didn’t know what he would do once he saw all that remains of a man he wanted to give his world to. 

Now he just had too much, and no one to share it with.

He had too much money, Ash having transferred half of Golzine's money into Eiji's account before he died. He had too much time, the worry of figuring the rest of his life out figured out. He had everything he needed now really. But the one thing he didn't think he could live without was gone, and as he saw Max in the distance, he realized he was going to say goodbye to him for the final time. He tried to breathe but couldn't, having packed no luggage for this venture he didn't have to pick anything up.

He stood at Max's side, not saying a word.

Max looked distressed too, and Eiji knew why. He saw Ash like another son, and he cared for him as such. If anything, Max might know Eiji's sadness better than anyone. But a selfish part of Eiji chose to believe his pain was still deeper, after all. Ash might've been a son to Max, but to Eiji, he was the love of his life. You can’t replace that.

Eiji had crushes before, many times. He even had had small relationships, never having gone past hand holding but still. They were something, he thought. Or at least he thought that before he had met Ash, a boy so much brighter than the sun to him. Ash was truly a brilliant force of absolute destruction in his life. He built Eiji up so much, he filled Eiji with so much love, and yet Ash never knew how to cope with being so loved. He assumed Eiji would eventually forget him. How could he forget Ash Lynx? He was everything Eiji had ever loved, and to have it slip through his fingers..

He started crying into Max's shoulder, eliciting a quiet. "I know." 

Needless to say, the car ride was near perfect silence. Eiji had stopped crying at this point, nothing but dread filled his limbs as they grew closer and closer and closer to their destination. 

The funeral wasn't an open casket, a small part of him wished he could confirm with his own eyes the death of the man he loved, but a different part of him knew it would break him too much to see that. He tried not to make too big of a scene, not wanting to disturb the others he saw. Alex, Max, Sing and Charlie were all notably there, while Ash's biological father was nowhere to be seen. Maybe Jim had died too along the way, or maybe the bastard truly never cared for his youngest son.

Eiji didn't know, and didn't want to think about how horrible Ash's life was as he watches the coffin be lowered into the ground. A man who never truly lived his life free of pain. He couldn't stop the almost gross sobs leaving his mouth at this point, finding Max to use as a crutch for support as he tried to stop himself from trying to follow the coffin that held Ash. He thinks it should’ve been him

As soon as the burial ended, and people started filtering out to leave, Max gently shook Eiji.

"Kid, will you be alright?" He said in the softest tone he possibly had.

Eiji didn't know how to say no. He instead decided to lie. "I'll be fine. Just..give me time with him, I'll call a cab."

Max looked at him, searching his features before deciding what to do. He knew he wouldn't get Eiji away at this point, so he instead sighed and just nodded. He left without a word, leaving just Eiji and Ash's tombstone.

Eiji broke, dropping to his knees and sobbing out to the ground. "I never..I-I never got to tell you, Ash. I never got to see you smile again. I wanted to see you happy, I would’ve done anything to just.."

He shakes as he racks with body with sobs, clutching at his chest as if to confirm that he himself was still alive. There might have been a heartbeat there, but he knew his heart was broken like a vase, irreparable damage breaking him to bits.

A voice behind him brought him to his senses. "Tell me what?"

Eiji snapped his head back immediately, staring up at Ash. Tall, lean body, with a mess of golden locks on top with bright green eyes. His eyelashes matched his hair, Eiji noted to himself. He was a really good hallucination, he thought cynically. The worry in his eyes was too lifelike for Eiji’s liking, however.

"Great. I've gone crazy now. Ghosts are haunting me." He laughs bitterly as he tries to wipe tears away. He stands up, trying to walk past the taller man.

He expects to go through him, really thinking he was a ghost, but instead he collides face first with Ash's chest. "I'm not a ghost, Eiji."

"You're right, I'm not just crazy, I'm totally batshit." He says, looking up at Ash. "I just saw them bury you. You're not real."

"Did you ever see my body?" Ash quirks a brow, looking down at the older boy as he had so many times before this.

"Well, no.." He says, sighing at the fact that he knew the ghost haunting him was right. He couldn't be 100% sure, and his mind wanted the coffin to be empty.

"Then I have just as much chance to be real as-" 

"Shut up!" Eiji snaps, hating how condescending this felt. He was being talked down to by a ghost tormenting him. "If you really are Ash, and not some dumb hallucination, tell me something only Ash would."

Ash doesn't miss a beat, responding. "You Japanese take a lot of responsibility for things you can't control."

He couldn't stop the tears at that point, wrapping Ash in an all too tight hug. With a buried face in the younger's chest, so much grief starts to leave him in violent sobs. Ash doesn't say a word, knowing he worried Eiji sick.

"When.." Eiji started, pulling back enough to look at his face. "Did you plan on telling me?"

"Today, since you came. If you didn't come, I would've met you in Japan. I couldn't call or text, law enforcement tracks that shit." Ash explains with a sigh. "I really was stabbed, I just paid some people off to make it look like a death."

"Why?" 

Ash looks at him confused, shaking his head. "So no one followed me to Japan."

Eiji's eyes widened in realization, and he grabs his wrist. Ash stares at his wrist for a second, before he pulls his hood up, putting sunglasses on to hide his defining traits. Eiji doesn't speak a word to Ash as he pulls them into a taxi, giving him the address of the place that he and Max were staying.

Eiji knocks on Max's door urgently, causing Max to have a mini heart attack and yell out. "Coming!"

Before he can fully open the door, Eiji is pulling Ash into the room. He pushes past Max, taking off Ash's hood and glasses before Max can even turn around. Eiji says in a serious voice. "Max, can you see this?"

Max looks shaken for a second, taking time to thoroughly inspect the young boy’s features. Eventually he steps back, nodding. "Yeah, that's Ash."

Ash squirms under the twos gaze, turning a bit red. "I told you, I'm real dammit!"

"I wanted to make sure I hadn't made you up in my mind." Eiji looks down, shaking his head to try to clear the cloud of the left over sadness and fear. This was good.

Ash was here. It was finally sinking in that Ash was alive, and that he didn't have to mourn anymore. He had spent three weeks mourning the death of a man that was right here, alive and in his grasp.

Ash was standing right there, a pout on his beautiful face as he tried to deflect the fact that he worried people. Eiji had big, dark circles surrounding his eyes but yet he now had the biggest smile on his face. Ash couldn't help but take note of this, his own pout leaving his lips as Eiji exclaims. "I didn't make you up!"

Max doesn't know what happens next, it all happened in a flash. Eiji jumped, Ash tried to catch him, and then a loud thud. The two boys laid in a tangle of limbs and laughter, their failure at a sweet gesture causing them to lose their minds a bit on the hotel’s carpeting. Max sighs, trying to put on his best dad face when separating them. 

"You boys both are recovering from injuries, shouldn't you be more careful?" He tries to reason to the two, but it falls on deft ears. He stares at them disapprovingly, but secretly is overjoyed to see Eiji with his spirits so high. And to see Ash alive and well. "I'd ask how you cheated death this time, but it seems you're a bit busy."

Ash calms down just enough to say. "I got stabbed, healed up, and paid just enough people to have them make it look like I died."

Max nods. "Did you get your documentation in check?"

"Yep, all the forged shit I need to leave the country here." He pulls out wads of paper, handing them to Max to check through.

"You've been busy." He mumbles, causing Ash to laugh a bit. He hands them back, asking. "Well? Are you going to Japan?"

"Yeah, that was the plan." He looks to Eiji, who looks serious now. Nudging the shorter boy gently, he says "Are you okay?"

"I want you to book the seat next to mine." Eiji looks up at him, eyes dead serious. Ash laughs even harder this time, causing Eiji to huff. "Ash! I'm serious."

"I know you are! I'll book the spot next to yours right now." He pokes Eiji's cheek, causing Eiji to pout even more.

Max cracks a smile at the two, before saying. "Good, now get outta my hotel room. You two can share Eiji's, can't ya?"

"Don't see why not." Ash shrugs and they finally make their exit together. 

Eiji doesn't let go of Ash's wrist as they make their way to his hotel room, which was only 3 rooms down. With his free hand, he digs for his keycard in his pocket. 

Ash smiles at the hand wrapped around his wrist, shifting out of his grip just enough to bring their hands together instead. Eiji, who now held a hotel keycard in his hand, looked down at their linked fingers. He looks up to Ash's face, taking in the smile that painted his lips.

Ash was the most carefree he had ever been. No pensive look was clouding his eyes anymore, his shoulders were so much more relaxed. And that beautiful smile he wore for Eiji. 

The worst was over now. 

Ash had spent weeks making sure the worst would be over for good, that he'd never have to worry about being ripped away from Eiji ever again. Eiji appreciates the effort he went through to guarantee them a future, so much in fact that he can’t be angry at the weeks of mourning. Ash was doing everything he could, what was three weeks in the bigger picture? They had the rest of their lives, if all went according to plan, what was three weeks of lost time really?

He lets them in the hotel room, exhaustion of two days of being up finally hitting him. He flops onto the bed, taking in a deep breath as Ash does the same beside him. They hadn’t bothered to ask the obvious question of the bed, and Eiji isn’t gonna, but Ash looks to him from his side of the bed. “You’re good with this, yeah?”

“Yeah, I don’t care.” He says, even though if he was honest he would say he preferred this to any other arrangement. That he’d rather sleep close to Ash all night than wonder if Ash truly was a figment of his grief ridden imagination. Although, sleeping next to Ash was what he wanted in general, not like it was much of a feat to get what he wanted.

Ash lets out a soft breath, looking to the elder of the two with soft eyes still. “I’m sorry. How long has it been since you’ve slept?”

“You don’t have to say sorry, you did everything you could..” He mumbles, finally meeting Ash’s eyes. “Two days.”

Ash looks sad for a moment, knowing how much he hurt Eiji indirectly already, but to hear it from the man himself much like a punch to the gut. He hated how much he relied on Eiji, it was so much stress on him. And yet Eiji was always so understanding of his pain. He held him when he cried, he listened to his sad stories constantly, he supported him no matter what. Eiji always meant to be with him forever, as he promised. 

Ash felt dumb to ever think that he could truly live a life without Eiji, as he stared at the man. He knew what he felt wasn't normal gratitude, he always had known. Even his men knew, he'd heard them calling Eiji his wife behind his back once, much to his embarrassment. Everyone knew that Ash loved Eiji since the moment they met, but maybe except for Ash.

He still couldn't say it, not like this.

"You should rest now, Ei. You've gotta be jet lagged to hell by this point." He says finally, looking at the dark bags with a concerned look.

"I am.." He concedes, closing his eyes against his will. "But you have to promise me something."

"Anything."

"When I wake up, will you still be here?" He forces his eyes back open, showing just how scared he was as he stared into the other’s eyes.

Ash nods a bit, responding quickly. "Yeah, I won't move an inch until you wake up, okay?"

"Okay." He smiles gently, closing his eyes again. "You should rest soon too."

"The sun hasn't even set." Ash retorts with a soft chuckle.

"Yeah, but then we can be up together later.." Eiji mumbles, already half asleep on their shared bed. Ash looks at him with eyes wide, but doesn't fight it.

He simply lays down with Eiji, staring down at the older man as sleep takes him too.

For the first time in 3 weeks, they both have peaceful sleep. No nightmares about the past, and no nightmares about the future. Both are graced with dreamless sleep, a welcome change for both of them. Eiji woke up first, like he always did. Maybe it was just their habit at this point, Eiji would wake up first and prepare breakfast for them. But this time, Eiji found himself wrapped in Ash’s arms, realizing that Ash needed this just as much as he did. He took a deep breath, a feeling of love washing over him as he stared at Ash’s face. Sometimes it was so hard to remember that he was the younger of the two, and yet in this moment, it was all Eiji could think about.

He looked so open, his normally guarded expression melted when he fell into a peaceful slumber. Blond locks framing his face, head resting on Eiji’s chest now, he looked beautiful. He looked happy for once, something that Eiji never thought he’d see again until the end of yesterday. Yesterday..shit, what time was it even? He looks over at the ticking clock on all the wall, reading that it was 4:00am. He laughed quietly to himself, they’d been sleeping like this for 12 hours straight.

He didn’t want to, but betting that Ash would want to sleep on the plane later today, he decides to wake the other boy up. He softly shakes the other boy, letting out a fond sigh when Ash groans like a child.

“C’mon, we’ve slept long enough, Ash.” He says, but before the other boy can respond he interrupts his own train of thoughts. “Can I call you Aslan?”

That seems to wake the other boy up a bit, eyes opening to look up at Eiji with a curious look. “Where’d that come from?”

“I just figured..” Eiji locks eyes with the younger boy, trying not to reach out for him. “Since Ash Lynx is dead now, you should give Aslan Jade Callenreese a chance to live.”

Ash looks at him with wide eyes, jaw going slack for a second before he buries his face in Eiji’s chest. “Fine,” he mumbles into the older’s muscle “But only you get to call me it.”

Eiji laughs sitting up slightly. “Does that mean I get to yell at people who call you Aslan?”

Ash pushes himself off of Eiji, shaking his head. “I can yell at them myself, Ei.”

“I didn’t know you spoke Japanese.” He teases, pointing out the flaw in the younger’s plan.

“Not fluently, Nisshō."” Ash looks back to him, sticking his tongue out.

Eiji turns bright pink, crossing his arms. “You learned that word just to aggravate me! You stupid American.” 

Ash chuckles at how he turned the tables, finally standing up with a stretch. He stares at the ceiling, a stupid smile on his face at where they were at right now. He didn’t know if Eiji loved him the way he loved Eiji, but he was cared for. He was thought of as an actual human, and who would he be to complain about that? It brought a certain warmth to his chest that spread like a wildfire through his body every time they were alone together. You could call it pining, but Ash was too scared to ever truly discuss such things with Eiji. 

But he planned to change things in Japan, he’d change himself until he was the man Eiji deserved. He wouldn’t be the broken shell of a man he’d been before they met, he’d let Eiji’s warmth fill his chest until he could turn it into something of substance. He didn’t have to give up on himself, Eiji taught him.

Ash might have taught Eiji strength, but Eiji had taught Ash humanity. He taught Ash that there was good in the world, and that it was okay to cling to that good like his lifeline. Eiji had never left him, despite all the times Ash had lied to his face to make Eiji hate him. He’d made Ash realize that he needed someone to rely on, even if he felt selfish letting Eiji see his darkness in this way, Eiji refused to leave him alone. He couldn’t express it now, but someday, somehow he would tell Eiji that he saved Ash’s life.

A small sigh broke his train of thought, Eiji shifting so that his feet barely were touching the ground next to Ash. “Aslan, I’m hungry.”

“What do you want?” He looks to the other boy, trying to wipe the grin from earlier off his face.

“Hash browns, and a chocolate milk.” He looks up at him, adding when he sees Ash start to look for his jacket. “I want to get it together.”

With a nod, he throws Eiji his shoes. “Okay then, it’s cold though.”

“I know! I own a jacket.” He laughs at Ash’s worry, looking around for the one jacket he brought to America. After pulling on the said article of clothing, he put his shoes on and joined Ash by the door. “Ready!”

Ash smiles at him, saying in an actual genuine tone “Love the sweater, Ei.”

“Thanks.” He giggles, poking the taller’s ribs teasingly as he went to open the door.

Eiji, unfortunately, did not truly account for what walking in the dead of night mid-New York winter would be like. He realizes this almost the second they exit the hotel, to his dismay. Still, he walks next to Ash who was used to the cold, wondering how the hell he was alive in nearly the same amount of clothes as him. Ash must have noticed the slight shake in his hands as they walked in step with each other, because he stops in his tracks and tugs Eiji’s sleeve.

“Aslan?” Eiji stops too, turning to look up at him with wide eyes.

Ash doesn’t say a word, taking his own scarf off and wrapping it tightly around Eiji’s neck. It could just be the cold, but Eiji could swear that Ash was blushing as he averts his eyes.

Eiji grins up at Ash, reaching up to poke his cheek. “Thank you! I already feel warmer..but won’t you be cold?”

“I’m a New Yorker, Eiji. I’ll live.” He says seriously.

Eiji laughs, bumping into Ash’s side as they start to walk again. “Fair enough, fair enough.”

Ash joins in the laughter after that, sticking his hands in his pockets as he looks to the ground. “Remind me never to trust you to pack appropriately.”

“Will I be doing much packing from now on?” He asks quietly, looking ahead as they walk.

Ash doesn’t respond at first, mulling over the idea of not having to pack everything he owns up every few weeks. “I suppose neither of us will have to.”

“That’s good, considering I didn’t even pack a bag.” 

“You got on a plane with nothing?” He suddenly looks up to Eiji, an odd look of worry settling on his features. 

Eiji looks back up at him as they walk, Ash’s expression tugging at his heart strings. “You’re so silly, Aslan, I was only gonna be here for a day anyway.”

“Right, but couldn’t you have packed a toothbrush?” He shakes his head, making Eiji’s brows knit together and eyes narrow.

“Excuse me if I was more worried about your death than my oral hygiene!” He huffs, looking away from Ash again.

“You sacrificed your teeth for a man who was alive, poor you.” Ash teases light heartedly.

Eiji just brings his own hands together, trying to warm himself up a bit. “You act like I wouldn’t have left everything I owned weeks ago if I knew you were alive.”

For the second time since waking up, Ash feels so incredibly lucky. He tries not to focus on the tightness in his chest, instead letting out a dry laugh. “I would’ve come to you, you know.”

“Sing told me that you planned on never speaking to me again.” He says, now finding his hands more interesting to look at. “So I think I probably would’ve gone myself.”

“Your letter changed my mind, I was halfway through reading it when I got stabbed.” He stops walking again, grabbing Eiji’s wrist to get his attention. “That’s when I decided to fake my death. Went to the library and they called 911 for me, making it look like I was too weak to. After that it was just a matter of paying everyone from the doctors to the mortician.”

Eiji finally meets his eyes as he finishes. “I wanted to live a peaceful life, but to live it with you I had to come up with a plan. Trust me when I say I was always going to come home to you, okay?”

Eiji doesn’t speak at first, opting to wrap his arms around Ash’s middle instead. He lets out a relieved sigh into his chest. “No more leaving.”

“I promise, Eiji.” Ash rests his free hand on top of the soft crown of hair. They stay just like that as snow starts to fall, this time Eiji wiggled his wrist free to intertwine their fingers. Ash sighs happily, speaking in a quiet voice when he says. “I’m never going back to gang life.”

Eiji looks up at Ash, smiling gently at him. “Good, if you did I don’t think my mama would like you much.”

“She probably hates me already.” He rolls his eyes half heartedly, squeezing Eiji’s hand.

“We’ll find out, won’t we?” Eiji looks down at their connected hands, before saying. “Oh, I should warn you that my sister decided she was in love with you when she saw the pictures I kept.”

“Did she now?” He quirks an eyebrow in amusement. “I’m not interested in your sister, she must be cute though.”

“And how can you tell?” 

“‘Cause you are.” Ash winks with the smirk he wears when he teases Eiji, and Eiji turns bright red like he always does. 

“You’re the worst, Aslan Callenreese.” He huffs as they start walking again, but doesn’t let go of Ash’s hand.

Ash smiles at their hands intertwined, shaking his hair free of the snow settling in it. “You wouldn’t hold my hand if I was the worst, Eiji Okumura.”

“Yeah, I know.” He looks up at Ash as if he was staring at the sun, a sweet smile on his face. He wasn’t shivering anymore either.

At that moment, Ash knew he had found his home. 

END OF ACT I

**Author's Note:**

> next time its japan baby!  
> follow me on twit, I cry about anime @sweatycokeslut
> 
> (psst, nisshō means sunshine in japanese)


End file.
